Mass spectrometer

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a mass spectrometer that uses a time-of-flight mass spectrometer for performing mass spectrometry on the basis of the difference in flight time based on mass of desired ions, and that is suitable for improving the sensitivity and analysis precision of the mass spectrometer. A gate electrode is located at a stage before an acceleration region that is located before an emitter for emitting ions. This gate electrode is capable of applying the voltage that is set on a mass-number region basis, and is also capable of separating desired ions to be measured on the basis of the mass number by switching the gate electrode at high speed. Therefore, it is possible to improve the resolution.

1. A method for improving the resolution of a mass spectrometer comprising steps of:
 generating ions from an ion source; 
 dissociating the ions generated from said ion source by a reactor cell; 
 emitting said ions into an electric field or a magnetic field by an ion emitting means; 
 generating a potential difference in a direction of a flow of said ions by a gate electrode being located between the ion emitting means and said reactor cell; and 
 detecting ions emitted into said electric field or said magnetic field. 
 
   
   
     2. The method for improving the resolution of a mass spectrometer according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein positive and negative pulses are applied to said ions to generate said potential difference in said direction of said flow of said ions. 
 
   
   
     3. The method for improving the resolution of a mass spectrometer according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein voltage is applied to said ions in response to the mass number of desired ions to be emitted into said electric field or said magnetic field. 
 
   
   
     4. The method for improving the resolution of a mass spectrometer according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said ions are trapped in a stage before emitting said ions into said electric field or said magnetic field.